Auxiliary dish



July 14, 1936. A. HALE 2,047,582

AUXILIARY DISH Filed March 1, 1955 Zhwentor B Ajth/urjglzla ym/M(Ittorneg Patented July 14, 1936 AUXILIARY msn A thur Hale,'Rowlandsville', Md." Application March 1, msaxse'rialinoaasdr 2 claims-.-('o1. 65- -15) i This invention; pertains'sto plates and" dishesandeparticularlyrto sidedishes." In the use of side dishes on-"adinner-tabla a great deal of trouble has:been-:experiencedzby housewlvesand' waiters g I twosid'es; one being concave and the otherconvex. 5

5 in commercial eatin'grplaces, due to overcrowding theitable or, if twoor more side-dishes are'used, thsinability: to placet-he sid'e dishesWithineasy reach of the diner. 1:.

Therefore, it is an object'of this'invention" to rprovid'e' a-dish 'or aside dish, as dishes of this type are called, which will permit two ormore side dishes to be placed within reach of the diner in addition tothe customary dinner plate, bread and butter plate and the salad dish.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dish, that if used withseveral other dishes, will not overcrowd the table, and make use of anappreciable amount of space that is normally lost due to the contour ofthe dishes now in common use.

Another and further object of my invention is to provide a dish or platethat due to its advantageous shape will fit or nestle between the otherdishes on the table.

With these and various other objects in view,

the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction andoperation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed. outin the specification, drawing and claims ap pended hereto.

In the drawing, which illustrates an embodiment of the device andwherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of my device.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a table showing the use to be made of myinvention.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the side dish I0, ispreferably three sided as indicated at I2. As will be noticed, the sidesof the dish are concave with radii of substantially the radius of theaverage vegetable dish. The

corners l4, as shown in the drawing, are rounded,

although it is apparent that they could have a sharp or squared corner.The dish I!) is provided with the usual side construction l6 and baseHi.

In the modifications shown at 24 and 26, which are similar inconstruction to my preferred form, I have indicated a four-sided dishwith all sides concave while the three-sided dish 28 is shown 55 withtwo concave sides and one straight side.

The "straight being'intended to conform to edge of the :table or to thestraight side of anotherdish; .1

Still another modification is shown at 26 having e The. construction ofmy dishes is designed to: w

enhance the appearance of a table'when set by making possible theutilizationof the maximum amount'of lost space on the table due to theshape of the dishesn'ow' in general'use. 11 10 As indicated in Figure 3,I have made use of this lost space by providing a compact yet decorativemanagement by the use of my unique construction of dishes. It isintended that the sides of my dishes I0, 24 and 28 conform more 5 orless to the outer periphery or sides of the neighboring dishes which, ofcourse, would not be possible if only the usual dishes were used.

An essential characteristic of the present invention is the provision ofan auxiliary dish which 20 may fit within and utilize to the fullestextent the space necessarily incident to the grouping of severalconventional rounded dishes or plates.

When dining at a restaurant, a guest occupying but a single seat at atable generally provided 25 for several guests, is necessarilyrestricted as to the space available for the main and side dishes of hisorder unless he is to encroach upon the space of other guests. Theconventional plates and dishes employed in a restaurant are circular 30in plan or partly circular and when grouped in a reasonably restrictedarea present spaces between the adjacent margins of three or more suchdishes which heretofore have been unavailable for use. 35

It is customary to serve side dishes which are generally smaller thanthe main dishes but which nevertheless must be capable of properlyreceiving the required material. In the use of such side dishes,together with the main dishes, the lack of appropriate grouping orpossibility of such grouping of the side or main dishes ordinarilycompels the waiter to place the side dishes out of ordinarily convenientreach of the diner, notwithstanding the fact that under the closestpossible grouping of the main dishes, there is a very considerable spacebetween such main dishes which is not and heretofore could not beutilized.

With the present special dish shaped so that 50 its peripheral edge willconform reversibly to the shape of the edge of the main dish throughoutthat portion adjacent the heretofore unused space, it is possible toutilize this space and place therein a dish which will serve not only tohold material but will present the maximum receiving capacity for theavailable space and serve as a conventional side dish. Thus, severalside dishes may be grouped within the area ordinarily occupied by themain dishes alone and thus not only is the normally required area forthe service of the guests reduced but the side dishes are moreconveniently within his reach while, of course, any dish, either theconventional main dishes or the improved side dish, can be readilyindependently removed from its occupied space at will withoutinterference from any other dish or dishes.

The essential characteristic of the improved dish is the shape of theedges which reversibly conform to the margin of the adjacent main dish,primarily with a view to not only occupying the heretofore unused spacebut utilizing that space to the maximum through the particular type andform of the new dish.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the essential characteristic ofthe improved receiver or container of the present invention is in itsbase, for that is the element which fits within the heretofore unusablespace. This base must approach or be substantially triangular in planand the respective edges defining the triangular outline must beconcaved with the radius of curvature corresponding to the curvature ofthe plates defining the space in which this particular base is to fit,for it is only through this provision that the new receiver or containermay be made to occupy this heretofore unused space which is theessential result sought.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improveddevice, the operation thereof and the manner of applying the same to usewill be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided asimple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects ofthe invention.

'What I claim is:

l. A three-sided dish or like food receiver having a concaved peripheryand adapted to reversibly conform to a portion of the periphery of theaverage main dish.

2. A food or like receiver having a base substantially triangular inplan with each of the sides of the base concaved, with the curvature ofthe concavity conforming to the curvature of the perimeter of a maindish, whereby the base may be fitted in the space provided betweenadjacent main dishes, with the concavity of the sides of the baseconforming in curvature and capable of being arranged to substantiallyoccupy the space provided between two or more main dishes, the formationof the base permitting convenient removal and replacement of thereceiver without disturbing the main dishes.

ARTHUR HALE.

